A boycott of Ballast Point products is being pushed by groups in Chicago as part of a campaign of resistance to the Trump administration’s hurry-up plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Ballast Point is the largest brewer in San Diego and was acquired by Constellation Brands in November 2015 for a reported of $1 billion. The parent company’s Political Action Committee has donated $25,000 thus far in 2017 in support of Rep. Paul Ryan, who’s leading the congressional fight for passage of what I like to call #TrumpDontCare.

The brewery has reached out via social media as news of the boycott has gone viral, saying “Ballast Point does not support Paul Ryan, nor the healthcare bill.”

While our parent company, Constellation, does have a PAC that contributes to candidates on both sides of the aisle, it does so only in the interest of policy issues directly related to the beverage alcohol industry. The PAC’s primary goal is to educate lawmakers on the benefits of our industry as a whole—creating jobs and contributing to our economy.

That said, Ballast Point has no direct involvement or input into the actions of Constellation’s PAC.

Please know that our only goal as Ballast Point is to brew great beer and provide for our employees and our customers like you.

Follow the Money

While I’m sure they’re horrified in the PR department at Ballast Point, the fact remains that profits from sales of their products fund the corporate executives whose donations make the PAC possible. And yes, the PAC has supported–to a lesser degree–some Democrats.

I’m also sure Constellation will point to the danger posed to profits on their Corona brand by the Trump administration’s threats of import taxes.

Unfortunately for them, import taxes aren’t on the administration’s Congressional ‘do list’ at present. And Paul Ryan, more than anybody else on the Hill, is the leader of a fight for what Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi rightfully calls “Robin Hood in reverse.”

The richest 400 families in America will get a $7 million tax break each year, to the tune of a $2.8 billion break every year. It is $600 billion moving from working class families to the richest families in our country.

After the 1% get their reward, the Medicare Trust Fund will whither, healthcare will be ‘accessible,’ but not affordable, and emergency rooms will be the primary provider for millions of families.

So, I’m sorry, Ballast Point/Constellation, you don’t get to stand by and make excuses. We’re sorry Trump’s Mexico bluster gave you a sad moment and threatens profits. Lives are at stake. You’ve made your choice. It’s Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan.

Thursday is Get Rid of the Black Guy’s Legacy Day

Thursday, March 23, is a big day for Rep. Paul Ryan’s ‘new and improved’ healthcare legislation. The House of Representatives will be voting that day on whatever ends up in the revised bill, sans an assessment from the Congressional Budget Office.

On the same day ANSWER Chicago, SEIU Healthcare Illinois & Indiana, and Indivisible Illinois are promoting a protest outside the Chicago Club, where Paul Ryan is the guest of honor at a high dollar ($50,000 gets you a photo with the Congressman) fundraiser.

Both these events are scheduled to coincide with the seventh anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act.

Ballast Point is an up-and-coming craft beer owned by Constellation Brands, but their profits don’t just go back into the company. Ballast Point’s owners make huge political donations every election. In 2016 alone, Constellation Brands PAC donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the campaigns and PACs of Paul Ryan, House Majority leader Kevin McCarthy, and many of their Republican colleagues.

Ballast Point’s owners raised more money in 2016 than in any of the past five elections, and they are already gearing up to help Republicans win the crucial 2018 midterms. Constellation Brands PAC is listed as “Vice Chair” of Paul Ryan’s upcoming Chicago fundraiser (when the Speaker of the House hopes to raise $2 million in one night). The invitation to the fundraiser, an event that plans to sell special access to Paul Ryan for $50,000, shows Constellation Brands’ name printed at the top.

A Supreme Court Filibuster? Don’t Count on It.

Four days of Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings on Judge Neil Gorsuch suitability for the Supreme Court began this morning.

I’ve seen several commentaries speculating that Dems have already made a deal not to filibuster in return for a promise from Sen. Mitch McConnell not to exercise the ‘nuclear option,’ a parliamentary procedure allowing the Senate to override a rule or precedent by a simple majority of 51 votes, instead of by a supermajority of 60 votes.

Why the Democratic leadership thinks they could trust the Senate Majority leader on any deal is beyond me.

Progressive groups including NARAL Pro-Choice America, MoveOn.org, Civic Action, Daily Kos, CREDO, Ultraviolet, and Progressive Change Campaign Committee are sending their millions of members emails today to get them to call Senate Democrats and urge them to filibuster Judge Gorsuch.

The White House thinks it has the votes to gain confirmation for their pick.

I’m going to be honest with you. I’m very worried about the Supreme Court hearings that start today.

Neil Gorsuch is as extreme a nominee to the highest court as we have seen in a generation. He has consistently ruled on the side of corporations over people, including Hobby Lobby—giving bosses the right to decide our birth control. Donald Trump promised over and over on the campaign trail to nominate justices that would overturn Roe v. Wade and Gorsuch appears to fit the bill. He could enshrine the Trump agenda for at least thirty years.

In spite of this, we’re not hearing from enough of the Democratic Senators that they will fight this nomination with everything they have. We need them to understand that simply stating their opposition to Neil Gorsuch is not enough. We need Senate Democrats to filibuster this nomination and demand a nominee who represents the mainstream values of our country.

Indivisible has issued talking points for people wanting to understand why Gorsuch is a poor choice.

Looking for some action? Check out the Weekly Progressive Calendar, published every Friday in this space, featuring Demonstrations, Rallies, Teach-ins, Meet Ups and other opportunities to get your activism on.

I read the Daily Fishwrap(s) so you don’t have to… Catch “the Starting Line” Monday thru Friday right here at San Diego Free Press (dot) org. Send your hate mail and ideas to DougPorter@SanDiegoFreePress.Org Check us out on Facebook and Twitter.

Doug Porter

Doug Porter was active in the early days of the alternative press in San Diego, contributing to the OB Liberator, the print version of the OB Rag, the San Diego Door, and the San Diego Street Journal. He went on to have a 35-year career in the Hospitality business and decided to go back into raising hell when he retired. He won numerous awards for his columns from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Doug is a cancer survivor (sans vocal chords) and lives in North Park.

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Do you think it is at all odd that the protestors here singled out Ballast Point for boycott, even though Constellation’s portfolio includes Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, Svedka Vodka, and Charles Smith Wines? Why the discrimination? Could it be a disgruntled Chicago-based craft beer competitor who started this thing? Would be awesome if a journalist followed up on this.

1.Ballast Point is their most high-profile domestic product.
2. So, let me get this straight, Chicago Indivisible, et al, were all bought off by a disgruntled craft brewer. BTW, Ballast no longer qualifies as craft beer. It’s the 13th largest beer in the US. Next you’ll be saying they were paid by Soros to protest.
3. The story clearly says Constellation has donated to Democrats. According to Open Secrets, their 2016 PAC to party ratio was 3:1 favoring GOP.
4. The story was prompted by a Facebook post that’s gone viral.
5. Did you notice that Ballast’s statement was higher up in the story than the actual details of the boycott? That means something.

Also, a quick search of the internet shows Constellation’s PAC has contributed to both Repubs and Dems over the past few election cycles, swinging red one year then blue the next. I’m not sure, but isn’t this just regular corporate lobbying? The kind that BP said Constellation does to educate and advocate for the craft beer industry? And if we’re against this (which maybe we should be), then there are a whole lot of other products, services and brands we should boycott. https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00304832

By the way, I am a registered Democrat, a liberal, and in no way a Paul Ryan fan. But I am pro-Sculpin and pro-accurate, contextualized information from the news! Let’s all strive to think critically and not fall prey to Trumpist alarmism.

“Please know that our only goal as Ballast Point is to brew great beer and provide for our employees and our customers like you.” Really? It’s not to maximize profits for owners and shareholders? Well then, let’s all join hands and sing Kum Bye Ya.